


Wanderland

by LeiaKitten



Category: Alice In Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
Genre: Adult Content, Fantasy, Other, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-12-02
Packaged: 2018-09-02 19:50:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8681182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeiaKitten/pseuds/LeiaKitten
Summary: Alice Herron chases a white rabbit into a hole and tumbles into -where else- Wonderland. The only problem is, it's nothing like it once was. She befriends many fantastical creatures along the way, and discovers a prophecy, lost family, and sinister plots of evil. Will Alice survive this dystopian Wonderland, or will close betrayals lay waste to her plans? Or is it all a wonderfully terrible dream... or something beyond even her wildest imagination?





	1. Chapter 1

That day was a very strange one, from what I remember of it. It was a lazy summer day, and I was staring out the window at summer school. More like prison. I didn’t deserve to be there. When you show up late to school almost every day for the school year though… I sighed angrily. It wasn’t fair. I felt my chest tightening with a panic attack, but tried to ignore it. If only I had gotten up when my alarm clock went off. If only I had caught the bus to school instead of walking to avoid the bullies on my bus. If only… if only I could walk right out these doors and go lay on that luscious school lawn, stare up at the blue sky, find shapes in the puffy white clouds, feel the soft summer breeze on my face. Why did I have to chase that stupid rabbit? Where would I be if I hadn’t? Yet… it could have been worse.

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My name is Alice. I know, I know, Alice chasing a white rabbit, how predictable, whatever. My point is, that stupid rabbit almost got me killed. They say curiosity killed the cat, but I figured it wouldn’t apply to me, being a person. I had no idea that it would turn out how it did.  
Anyways, back to the beginning. I am Alice Herron, I have two sisters, Kaytlin and Merran. Old family names, obviously. I am the youngest, still in my second year of high school. Both my sisters have already graduated and are in college. Kaytlin is supposed to be getting married soon. Her fiancée, Trevor, is the most boring person I have ever met, so he’s a perfect fit for her. Merran, however, is going wild in college. I heard Mom and Dad arguing once about what they should do. Mom wanted to send her to a boot camp, but Dad wanted to put her in an institute. Apparently she wasn’t adjusting to college well, and had stopped answering their calls. Her friends called though, so they knew she wasn’t dead.  
Then there was me. The youngest, most ignored, perfect child, never-gets-into-any-trouble Alice. Yeah, right. If my parents paid me the slightest bit of attention, they would try to send me to an institution. I was still polished on the outside. Just, lately I had been going out of my way to make my parents notice me. I had gone out partying a few nights before the day everything happened, and came home incredibly drunk. My friend, Adele, helped me up to my room on the second floor. My parents never noticed a thing. They were too busy arguing about Kaytlin’s wedding and what to do about Merran. When I dragged myself out of bed the next day to slump off to school, Mom was on the phone with a florist and Dad was online researching mental hospitals. Needless to say, I was outraged.  
I suppose that may have been what led up to me chasing that rabbit. I didn’t want to go home that day, because I was sick of walking in the house and hearing nonstop about Merran this and Kaytlin that, and never a ‘How are you doing, Alice?’ or ‘Was your day nice, Alice?’. I had taken to stealing from malls in the hopes of getting caught and someone would finally stop and ask about me. For once, I would be the center of attention. I never got caught though. I had plenty of money, so I could have bought anything I wanted, but I wanted to get caught. That day, I stole a purple and white striped jacket from the mall, and left the price tag hanging out as I walked out the door. Not a person caught it, so I just kept walking. What would it take to get noticed?

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Now, back at summer school, I was ignoring the lesson, gazing out the window and wishing for lunchtime to hurry up already. I would go sit at the base of that tree and… Was that my imagination, or did I just see a rabbit?! I leaned forward, hoping it was. Maybe I could catch it and bring it home for a pet. Hmm, that may start an argument with my parents, and I would be the reason. Yep, that’s just what I figured I would do then. I caught another glimpse of the rabbit, and when the lunch bell rang, I darted for the door.  
When I reached the tree, I looked all around it. I sighed, figuring that the rabbit had hopped off, startled at the bell or something. Suddenly, I heard a slight rustling in the bushes by the tree. I waited, frozen in place so I wouldn’t scare it off, and it hopped out of the bushes. At first, all I could think was how funny it looked. It started hopping off again though, so I followed it, hoping to catch it before it disappeared again. It had on a jacket with a red heart on it and a golden crown on top of the heart. In a pocket on the front of the jacket was a golden pocket watch. I supposed it must belong to somebody then. Odd, because I hadn’t seen any fliers up about a missing rabbit. I smiled in satisfaction. Even better, stealing someone's pet. Hah, I wonder how much attention that would get me. Maybe not like stealing a car, but still.  
“I’m late! I’m late!” I gasped. I could have sworn the rabbit just talked. Which was crazy, because rabbits don’t talk. Sure enough though, I heard it again. What was even worse was that the rabbit then pulled out a pair of spectacles, put them on, pulled out the watch and stared at it, then put it back in its pocket and kept hopping. The whole time it seemed to be mumbling that it was late. It hopped up to the tree and pushed a knot in the tree. I swear, I had something bad to eat for lunch or something, because a hole opened up in the tree. I blinked and rubbed my eyes, sure I had lost it. I watched as the rabbit hopped into the hole and it shut behind the rabbit.  
Waiting for somebody to jump out and yell, “Haha! Joke’s on you!” I stood staring at the tree for a few minutes. I looked back at the school a short distance away. Well… no one was looking. No one would miss me, as my family had proven very well. I didn’t know what the hole led to, but I had nothing better to be doing. I took a breath and stepped up to the tree, pushing the knot that the rabbit pushed. Unfortunately, I had misjudged where the rabbit was standing, and I fell headfirst into the hole.


	2. Chapter 2

I tumbled through darkness for what seemed to be eternity, but then I came to a stop in a chair. I looked around and found myself… in a floating rocking chair. I shook my head, certain I was dreaming or something. Of course I wasn’t in a floating rocking chair, that would mean… I slid out of the chair and realized something. There was no gravity. I was floating in the air! I looked around and saw a table set with a teapot and teacups and saw that it was floating also. There was also a bed, a wardrobe, and a vanity dresser, all floating like everything else. Well, it was fun for a little bit, and I could do flips in the air and twirl like a ballerina, but I remembered why I had went into the hole in the first place, and looked around again. Below me, I saw the rabbit, using a ladder on the wall to pull itself down to the floor where there was a door.  
I floated over to the ladder and pulled myself towards the door too. As I reached it, the rabbit was going through already.   
“Oh no. Mr. Rabbit! Uh, that is, if you are a guy. Come back! I need to talk to you!” What?! Talk? To a rabbit? Oh, I had lost my mind. Then the rabbit turned around and, hopping in place, glanced at its watch and said what it did before.  
“I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date! No time to say goodbye – hello! I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!” I stared as he – obviously a ‘he’ by the voice – hopped in place. "Hmmm, not much reception. Yes, it is a little repetitive, wouldn't you say? I'll come up with a new phrase next time." New phrase... what? He hopped away before I could ask. That rabbit just talked to me. When I woke up from this dream, I would definitely write a book about this.   
I hurried after the rabbit, though he was a quick hopper so he had a large head start on me. I was so fixated on the rabbit that I failed to notice my surroundings. As I hurried through the door I saw the rabbit go through next, I looked around, and realized that my surroundings had shrunk. Or maybe I had grown...? I stared around me, looking for the rabbit. I felt something flit across my foot and jumped. Looking down, I saw the white rabbit, perhaps half a foot tall, hopping through a teeny door. I cried out in astonishment.  
"What - !! How did he...?" I looked around helplessly, and noticed a table in the otherwise empty room. "Hmmm." I walked to the table and noticed a bottle sitting there, with the label reading 'Drink Me' and a key sitting beside it. Now, I know what you're probably thinking. Don't drink it Alice! Bad things happen from here on out! But it looked like eggnog, and it smelled like it too, and I could never say no to eggnog, especially with the tempting smell of what I thought might be Baccardi's coming from the bottle. Besides, how would I have gotten out without catching up to the white rabbit, who clearly knew how this crazy dimension worked? That's how Alice in Wonderland's Alice did it anyways. Why shouldn't this Alice do it?  
I opened the bottle, and before I drank, I remembered the key. That's one thing this Alice won't be doing, is forgetting the key. I turned up the bottle and took a swallow, enjoying the burning yet sweet taste, and... nothing happened. I looked about, confused. Shouldn't I have shrunk? Maybe I didn't have enough. I tilted back the bottle and took another drink. Still nothing. What was going on? In all the movies and books, the Alice shrunk and forgot the key, and... oh. I felt the key in my pocket and thought a minute. Maybe... was it possible I was simply supposed to repeat the actions of all the past Alice characters?   
Suddenly, I grew resentful. Not a thing in any world was my own! I always had to follow in the shadows of someone greater than me. In anger, I hurled the bottle at the door. "Take that, you son of a - " I stopped, gaping. The door had melted away, and anything the liquid in the bottle touched began to do the same. Suddenly, the rabbit appeared in the doorway.  
"Oh dear, this won't do. This was not scripted. My, what will the Queen say? Oh dear dear dear." The rabbit squinted up through its bifocals at me. "You there! You weren't supposed to do that! Just look at the damage you've caused! The Queen is going to be furious." I clucked my tongue in frustration, put my hands on my hips.  
"Oh, and let me guess, off with my head?" The rabbit looked startled, then began laughing. I scowled, not seeing what was so funny.  
"Oh, that's too much!" The rabbit gasped for air between words and laughter. "You... you really think... beheading... hoo ha ha! No no no, nothing quite so savage as that. You see, the Queen I am sure that you believe to have heard of has long since passed, leaving the kingdom to her much much colder and more brilliant daughter. No, beheadings are a thing of the past. The Queen prefers now to use such methods as mind probing and illusional torture. Her Majesty has a weak stomach for physical violence and bodily torture. Quite heathenly, you know. However, traitors to the crown must be punished somehow you know." I swallowed, feeling sick and weak in the knees.  
"You... you mean she... tortures their minds?" The rabbit nodded absently, now taking in the hole I had corroded with the drink. He began hopping around the edges, stopping just short of where the spill had ended. He squinted, bending a bit closer towards the mess. My heart was in my throat and my mind was racing a million miles an hour. Gone was the Queen of Alice's Wonderland I had grown up reading about, watching movies about. She was relatively harmless and easily distracted. I doubted the new regime would be so careless. And now that a new Alice had set foot into her land... I swallowed again, finding it a bit difficult to breathe. I knew I had to act, and act fast. If all of this was real, or even semi real, I needed to find the cheshire cat.  
" - a little bit of plaster, some wood and bricks, paint it all up, and that should do it, yes. Now as for cost, I don't even know where to begin." The rabbit had been rambling as I pondered my fate. A metaphorical light bulb flashed over my head as an idea whispered in my ear.  
"Mr. Rabbit..." I began, cautious as to his reaction, unsure if he would be different if the Queen was. "Weren't you saying you were late for something sir?" The rabbit quickly rose his head, eyes wide and nose faintly quivering. I held my breath.  
"Oh my... you're right. I'm late! Oh no! The Queen! Oh, she'll absolutely have a fit! Oh my liege, please have mercy!" Instantly distracted, the rabbit hopped away, avoiding the acidic mess I had caused. I grinned, glad that at least something in this even more nonsensical world was still the same. I looked at the hole, trying to figure out my next move. I was still too big to fit through the door, and had now wasted the drink that would have shrunk me. I sighed at my obstinacy, shaking my head in regret. Then I looked at the hole again, as I thought I had seen something move. I stared intently at the spot and watched in near disbelief as a hand beckoned me through the hole. It seemed to be just blackness, as of a scorched ground. I looked closer though, and saw the hole wavered slightly around the edges, like a heat shimmer in the air near gasoline on a hot summer day.  
I looked around and, seeing no other option, sighed and put a finger through the blackness where the disembodied hand had been. I jerked it back quickly though, shocked. I had felt tingling, and coldness, like the waters in the Arctic. I looked around again, took a deep breath, and slowly submerged myself through the hole.


	3. Chapter 3

I opened my eyes and let out my breath, unaware I had been doing either. Blinking, I looked around. I wasn't sure what I had expected, perhaps the Walt Disney animated version of Wonderland. At worst, Tim Burton's take on it. Maybe even the picture Lewis Carroll had painted in his reader's heads. Certainly not this though.  
The sky was a deep purplish black, and the air felt thick, as though citizens here drank a soupy form of oxygen rather than a gaseous form. I waited for my body to adjust to the change in atmosphere. Looking around me, I saw a foreboding looking forest and heard wild, savage sounds coming from it. I looked to my left, opposite of the nearby forest, and saw rolling hills, which would have looked lovely covered in lush green grass. Instead, the hills were adorned with dry brown weeds, a poor attempt at hiding the skulls of various creatures and people scattered densely along the hills. The ground was painted a rich orangish red color, which I had taken for rust. Upon thinking it through and seeing no metal to have oxidized and rusted amidst the graveyard, I tried not to think of what else it could be.   
Looking behind me, the way I came, I saw only a large dilapidated brick wall, with no entrance anywhere in sight, stretching around the land for miles and miles. It was too tall to scale, and even then, it was topped with sharpened criss-crossing sticks, coated in shattered glass. I swallowed again, trying now not to think of what purpose such a wall would have, especially with a corpse in a cage hanging along the wall every fifty feet or so. I walked up to one, holding my hand over my mouth at the stench. A sign hanging from the cage read :

Prisoner of the Queen. Any attempt to free this traitor will result in similar punishment. All Hail Queen Elyse!

Below it was a poster, which appeared to be a fading and aged wanted flier, like those in the eighteenth century in England. The poster gave a general warning about traitors to the Queen and the punishments to befit the crime. Below the general statement, what I saw shocked me into breathlessness. It was me. But a much younger looking me, with blonde hair instead of my own cherry colored hair, and in a child's blue princess dress, with a black headband holding back my - her - hair. I snatched the picture up, staring in wonder. It had to be the Alice depicted in Lewis Carrol's fiction... but she and I looked almost alike. As if... No. I thought. That can't be right... She's my... I let out a shaky breath and quickly scanned the subheading.

Alice Herron, wanted for crimes committed against the crown. Crimes included: Starting a revolution, perjury in the Queen's Court, Slaying the Queen's Pet, Cheating during Croquet with the Queen, Belittling and Mocking the Queen, Seen in company with a Cheshire Cat...

The list trailed on down the page, continuing on with accusations of various criminal activity, ending finally with murder of the Queen. The sentence was also written underneath that: drawn out torture and public humiliation, followed with death. A small note had been hastily added to the bottom, after the signature of the current queen. 

Any and all descendants to Alice Herron are to be instantly halted, captured, and taken to the Royal Court for a hearing. All relations to Alice Herron are to be questioned for their purpose of arrival, their intent to the land, and their loyalty to the throne. All borders and passageways to the mundane realm are to be destroyed, and if for any reason a crossing should happen, the perpetrator and those parties responsible are to be immediately put to death for treason without trial . 

The signature of the current queen also followed this recently added note. I sighed and sat, suddenly bone tired. If what I had read was right, then I was directly related to this Alice, and would be put to death most likely. Well, I get that attention I've been craving so dearly, I thought with a smirk of irony crossing my lips before fading into a worried frown. I looked around, suddenly paranoid of being in the open. I felt eyes all over me, and the prickly feeling that comes with the thought that you're being watched. I looked in the one direction I had not upon my arrival, knowing just what I would see. Sure enough, a sprawling castle and its grounds were laid out in front of me, with a rose garden hedge maze guarding it. Stone statues of terrible beasts dotted the maze; the castle had a terrible looming feeling to it, as if the castle itself knew I were here and was sternly watching my movements, waiting for the chance to snatch me up and crush me in its stone fists. A clap of thunder sounded overhead, and the sky opened up. I almost began to laugh at the mundaneness of the shower, until I noticed something that coldly reminded me of where I was: the sky was raining blood. I felt sick again, and rushed for the cover of the nearby ominous woods, my only shelter.

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I had been wandering about in the forest for hours, searching desperately for anyone or thing that might help me. A few times I had ran into oddly formed creatures, one of them resembling a huge mosquito... until its straw-looking mouth opened up to reveal sharp teeth. After running from that for a little bit, I sat to rest and admired an oversized butterfly. It was beautiful and I began to feel at peace. Then it floated past a lightning bug and I saw its enormous stomach was moving and kicking, a human shape inside of it. Once I saw that, I kept my distance from every living creature. I hoped desperately for the cheshire cat, the Mad Hatter, or the March Hare, remembering their brave and bold actions in every version of Wonderland that I had seen or read. I now mulled over the details of the stories, which slipped away from my grasp in my mind, dancing tauntingly at the edges of my memory.   
I sighed, and sat down on the forest floor tiredly. I was hungry and thirsty, and I couldn't remember which encounter had happened first. Was it Cheshire Cat after the white rabbit? Or Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum? When did the talking flowers and hookah smoking caterpillar happen? What about the caucus race? I was so confused and tired and hungry. I was now regretting drinking that eggnog, as the alcohol was drying out my mouth even faster than if it had been a non-alcoholic drink. I curled up in a tight ball on a dry bit of forest floor, trying to block out the vicious noises of the forest. The rain had stopped an hour ago, but the ground was still soaked with the stuff, making me sick as my shoes squelched in the bloody mud of the ground.   
A nearby noise startled me to my feet. There was a rustling sound coming from the ferns nearby, and I retreated into the shadows of an oak tree, pulling my jacket hood up to shadow my features if needed. A group of human sized mice appeared through the ferns an instant later, and I bit down on my cheek to muffle a startled squeak. They were wielding rapiers, had a string belt tied around each of their waists, possibly in which to stow their weapons. They vaguely reminded me of the mouse in The Chronicles of Narnia, and I stifled a giggle. Their beady black eyes darted about the tiny clearing and their noses twitched, as if picking up a scent. I prayed it wasn't mine, or that they weren't hostile.   
"Secure the clearing. We can set up camp here for tonight. I'm picking up a scent, but it's definitely not the Royal Guard. I could smell those mutts miles off," the largest one boasted, tittering a short nervous laugh, but its eyes darted all around and up at the trees, as if searching for spies. The troop of five mice scampered about the clearing, waving their paws in the air and mumbling, or more like chanting. To my astonishment, silvery threads shot out in a large hemisphere and intertwined themselves into a slightly shimmering but otherwise invisible barrier. I was inside it, so I resigned myself to staying put unless it was necessary to do otherwise. One of the mice came close by the tree I hid in and I jerked back into a hollow spot in the tree, retreating quietly into the shadows. The mouse paused, and I covered my mouth to muffle my breathing. After what seemed like forever, I heard the mouse's footfalls continue on, and I breathed out a thin stream of air in relief.  
"Aha! I knew I smelled something!" A paw jerked me out of the hollow and pushed me into the center of the clearing, tugging my hood down. The mice gathered round, their weapons pointed warningly at me. The leader moved forward, its rapier raised in a cautious mode, and put its paw under my chin, willing me to look up. As I did, I heard gasps and mutters circle through them. The leader stepped back in shock, its eyes wide and mouth open. "Who are you?!" it demanded, brandishing its rapier at me threateningly. I dropped my eyes to the ground in defeat, resigning myself to the likelihood I would be dead soon.  
"Alice. Alice Herron." I whispered. Silence permeated the clearing, becoming as solid as the air in this forsaken realm. I looked up and saw the mice looking from one to the other, astonished, but... was that... happiness? Hope perhaps? A light sparked to life in each of their eyes, and the weariness that had been set deep into their stance, their movements, their faces began to seep away some, leading to... confidence. I looked up at the leader, who stood uncertainly, its weapon still pointed at me, but now, if I meant harm to them, I could probably overcome them and run away.   
"If you are Alice..." the mouse glanced about nervously, as if saying the name would summon the vicious queen, "then why is your hair red? Alice's hair was yellow." The mice nodded, suspicious again. I swallowed and looked up again.  
"I'm..." my voice failed me, thirst making my speech hoarse, "I'm not from here. I followed a white rabbit from my world into this one. I wanted to catch him for a pet, you see. But I found myself here... and... obviously not wanted. I think I am the descendant of the Alice that you're talking about. I saw her picture along the wall outside the forest. We look just alike, except for the hair..." My words trailed off as one of the mice held a wanted poster of the other Alice up beside me. They all gathered closer and nodded, agreeing with me. The leader's eyes still harbored suspicion, but it sheathed its weapon in its belt.   
"Well Alice, I am Bartholome. This is my family. Veronique, " he pointed to one with a purple bow on her tail, "Mikel," the mouse with a green hat nodded, arms crossed, "Talmir," the timid looking mouse with spectacles who had almost discovered me meekly raised his hand, "and lastly, my wife Roushaline," a mouse with a pearl necklace waved politely. I nodded to each and situated myself on the forest floor, painfully aware of the thirst now. A dry patch on my tongue had begun to form, stubbornly resisting what little saliva I could provide it. The mice were tittering amongst each other, and I looked dizzily up at the one called Mikel, who was nearest to me. I opened my mouth, intending to ask if they had some water to spare, but a blackness filled my vision and the faces of the mouse family faded.


	4. Chapter 4

I blinked groggily, and jumped almost a foot in the air as my vision cleared. A mouse's face loomed just over me, and I yelped, scooting back. The mouse also squeaked and jumped back, and the others scurried over to see what was going on. I shook my head to clear it, then decided not to do that again as the room tilted and dipped. I was lying on a leaf bed, with a cloth covering me as a blanket, and a bandage on my right arm. I reached up and felt the part of my head that was throbbing intensely, and felt a bandage wrapped around my head. The memories flooded back to me of what had happened and I looked up at the mice. Mikel, the one who had been peering down at me worriedly as I awoke, was looking at the forest floor and avoiding my eyes. Roushaline came closer to me cautiously and asked how I was feeling. I cleared my throat and realized that my thirst had been quenched sometime while I was out. I wondered hazily - and shyly - if Mikel had done that.  
"I'm fine. Sorry to have startled you. Thank you for helping me." I shyly peeked up at the mouse family, who all nodded their welcome at me. The girl, Veronique, was tending to a pot sitting over a fire, an acidic look on her face for some reason. I looked at the fire, alarmed. Fires meant smoke and smoke meant detection. I was about to admonish them for their carelessness, but the words died on my lips. I saw, to my amazement, the smoke that should have been drifting into the sky and giving away our location was evaporating in the barrier. I searched for the smoke beyond the barrier and found the sky clear. The smell which wafted from the pot smelled heavenly, and, assuming the barrier would block that as well, my fears subsided. However, my amazement grew with each experience with this family.  
"Our family has been trained for centuries in the arts of deception and discretion. We were forced to abandon our usual cheery magic for hiding magic after the reign of the new queen began," Bartholome emerged from a tent and explained the smokeless fire, as if reading my mind. My eyes widened as I considered this. If they had that magic, then... "Mind reading? No." Bartholome laughed and I jumped, startled. "No, we are empathetic creatures, mice. Most animals are actually. My family has heightened skills though, from what normal animals usually have. Hence, the magical skills and extraordinary height. And the ability to converse with you, Alice. You know, your grandmother met my father. They had many adventures together in this land. That was before the... well. Incident." I leaned closer, but Bartholome did not continue. He sighed and walked to the pot, stirring the contents and tasting a ladleful of it. He smacked his lips satisfiedly, gave a thumbs up to Veronique, who looked down, pleased but embarrassed.  
We all gathered about the fire and ate the soup, which was almond and mint with some other flavor I couldn't identify, out of woven leaf bowls with carved wooden spoons. As we ate, Bartholome told me of the situation currently in Wonderland, which was now simply called The New Republic, and of his family's actions in the cold war now being waged in the land. The war was between the queen and survivors from my grandmother Alice's time. The new queen wanted to wipe out the survivors and install a secure regime for her reign, where she would be the sole heroine and any mention of Alice would bring scorn and punishment for the offender. Eventually, she wanted to wipe out all memories of Alice from The New Republic, so she set out laws, banishing the use of Alice's name, any of her clothing items, and any item she came into contact with during her stay. All mushrooms and flowers, talking or not, had been demolished from the land.  
Magical items that would cause someone to shrink or grow were banished. All cheshire cats were supposed to be hunted to extinction, so a force of troops had been installed that could detect the magical traces of the elusive, ever disappearing cat. Soon, the few cheshire cats left in the land were awaiting trial in the castle's dungeons, or dead. The possibility of escape was slim to none, so nobody mentioned that. Tea parties were banished, along with caucus races, hatters (mad or otherwise), hookah, caterpillars, unbirthdays, and croquet. Those involved with Alice had been imprisoned on a life sentence, and tortured regularly for information about Alice or her descendants. Rumor has it that the Mad Hatter had taken to silence, only broken by his laughter, which hauntingly echoed the queendom each week during his scheduled torture. The Cheshire Cat directly involved with Alice was imprisoned in a magical cell, with wards to prevent his escape. The March Hare, Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, and all others involved with Alice had mysteriously vanished, just like Alice had, and nobody knew where to.  
The mouse family belonged to a group of vigilante revolutionists, who had taken up arms against the queen and her followers. Not many would join, because of the risks that ran with it. A patrol from the castle was sent out each week to go through the realm and root out any traitors or Aliceans, as Alice followers had been dubbed. Anybody in violation of the new rules, or the old ones, would be imprisoned and taken to the castle for a court hearing. Everybody knew that the hearings were unfair in the old days during the Red Queen's rule, so, to gain favor, the new queen had held an election and a new judge was installed. Sigmund Smyth, none other than the White Rabbit, was the queen's right hand puppet, and his unwavering loyalty to her meant that court was still unfair. However, the queen sometimes would intervene on hearings that began to stir the revolutionary pot to show the realm their queen was merciful and kind. Some perpetrators were let go from the castle with a ruling of innocent.   
The only thing wrong with that... Rumors had reached the revolutionists ears that those who entered the castle for a hearing and returned on an innocent conviction were not quite the same as they had been before they went in. Their families had whispered that the persons' actions had become robotic and monotonous, and the person spewed praise for the queen religiously. Prior to it, these people had been quiet protestors to the queen and her laws. Suspicions arose and some revolutionists attempted to gain entrance to the castle, undercover, with the guarantees of returning free with the innocent verdict. Nothing more was heard from the group and it had been half a year. The small amount of spies amidst the queen's guard hadn't been able to report anything on these mysterious happenings. Soon after, all of the spies began disappearing too. All that was left were the mouse family, a pub owner, and a set of twin sisters who traveled the realm under the pretense of being fortune tellers and gypsy performers. They actually ran an underground mail route and smuggling operation for Aliceans, and would sell or trade the rare items which were banned from the realm, deliver mail between Aliceans, and occasionally smuggle people who were on the list for a trial. This was made easy by the fact that a list was posted each week of people in line for a hearing, and they were to gather their belongings and meet the royal guard to go to the castle on Sunday of each week.  
The twins smuggled those who were on the list and brave or scared enough to run to a secret portal between realms, which was supposed to have been destroyed along with the other portals upon the beginning of the new queen's reign. The twins were rumored to have learned of this one from Alice herself, and they supposedly were the only ones who knew the whereabouts of Alice and those who escaped. Of course, at that I asked the natural question: if that was the case then why weren't they locked up like the Mad Hatter and being questioned? Roushaline clucked her tongue and sighed.  
"They are the only ones with granted immunity, Alice. They are princesses. Daughters of the White Queen. The White Queen died soon after your grandmother, Alice, disappeared. She used the last of her strength to cast an infinitely strong protection spell upon her daughters, Ella and Emma, so the new queen could not harm them. The queen has tried, believe me. No one can put their hands on the girls, or use magic, or anything. The spell is so strong that they can't even be harmed by time or nature. They are healthy, immortal fifteen year olds with blossoming magical powers. The new queen struck a deal with them: she would not meddle in their affairs and in return they would not try to usurp her or kill her. They agreed, seeing this as the perfect way to begin uprisings. With the queen unable to pry, they could do what they pleased and the queen could not stop them. Now the queen is most likely just waiting for the prophecy to begin." Bartholome's younger son, Talmir, explained. His eyes darted up at me nervously, then away.  
"What prophecy?" I asked, suddenly dreading the answer. Nobody spoke for a few moments. Veronique, who had been treating me with a somewhat icy disposition since I awoke for some reason, stood and walked to me. She put her face close to mine and hissed,  
"You will be the cause of their deaths. You just plop in out of nowhere, and make this stupid prophecy more likely to happen than not, and you don't even have a clue!" The animosity showed in her eyes, and Mikel pulled her away from me, trying to calm her. Bartholome apologised for Veronique's outburst and grew quiet again. Roushaline sighed and looked at me sadly.  
"It's not your fault, we know this. Veronique is very close to the girls. She also fails to remember that prophecies may come true if the subjects allow it to. We are all in charge of our own fate though. Our own destiny. It is possible for the strong willed to change their stars." I stared intently at my hands clasped in my lap, my bowl and spoon on the ground at my feet. I felt the blood rising in my face, blushing in anger and frustration. I could never seem to have control over my own life. Always walking in the shadows of someone great, or now, limited to the confines of this prophecy to define me. Any person I met would despise me, like Veronique. I didn't blame them. I didn't want this....  
"-didn't ask for this." I jumped, surprised at my own voice floating from my clenched teeth, uncontrolled and wavering with anger. I blinked and saw I had somehow grabbed the spoon and snapped it in my hand without realising it. Mikel walked over and patted my shoulder soothingly.  
"No you didn't," he said. "And we shouldn't count our cheshire cats before they appear. For all we know, the prophecy could be a lie made up by the queen to scare the twins into not being aggressively active against her. Or it could be that, as my mother says, we control our own destinies and you will vanquish the queen, without harming the twins," Mikel encouraged me, trying to be positive. I smiled gratefully up at him, then muttered a feeble apology for breaking the spoon. "It's no problem. See?" He held up a hand and produced a new one from thin air. I smiled wider at him, glad that he didn't hate me for something out of my control.  
"So... what does this prophecy entail exactly? Am I supposed to pop out of my realm, accidentally kill the twins, overthrow the queen, then pop back to my world?" I looked around hopefully, but deflated as I saw their faces. Resigned, I waited for someone to speak. Talmir began, his voice sounding like someone reciting a well know fairy tale or bedtime story.  
"War shall wage from she who wields the hallowed blade. The Queen of Blood shall fall, and be replaced by her child. Terror and paranoia shall reign, until the time comes for the young Champion, the mirrored image of the Savior, to enter the land. The Champion shall come with a fiery halo about the head, clad in the stripes of a Cheshire Cat. The Champion shall travel with the blessed twins and the twins will fall at the Champion's hand. With the death of the twins, the Champion will gain the strength to slay the Cursed Queen, and restore peace once more to the land." Silence permeated the clearing while I thought about the prophecy. There was no doubt I was the Champion. I had fiery red hair, and was wearing the stolen purple and gray striped hoodie. The mirrored image of the Savior? The Savior had to be Alice, my grandmother, but if I was her mirrored image... what did that mean exactly? Mirrors show reflections, but they show the opposite of someone. Did that mean I was the opposite of my grandmother? The prophecy seemed to have left more questions than it answered.   
"Well, I believe we should get some rest. Much trekking ahead of us tomorrow." Bartholome stood and stretched, and I looked about, realizing that darkness had fallen while I was thinking. Roushaline and Bartholome put out the campfire then headed towards their tent, Mikel and Talmir towards theirs. I sighed as I realized I must have to share a tent with Veronique, who was still glaring at me with hatred. I followed her to the tent and laid down on the leafy bed made up for me. Veronique plopped onto her bed and turned away from me, raising her blanket up to her nose. I settled into the bed and pulled my cover up to my chin, feeling alert and thinking I wouldn't be able to drift to sleep. Surprisingly though, my eyes grew heavy and my surroundings took on a bright dreamy quality. When sleep finally took me, I tossed through nightmares of bloody twins, accusing fingers pointing at me, fiery rain, and ever looming in the background, a blonde woman battling against a woman clad all in red.


	5. Chapter 5

I stood, hacking and coughing and swatting away a swarm of what I thought were gnats buzzing around my face. Mikel rushed to me, pulling me back from the harassing bugs. He grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face him and studied my face like he was looking for something. Apparently relieved, he nodded and maneuvered me around the cloud of bugs.  
"Sporls." Mikel grunted in explanation. "Nasty things. They sting you and the whole swarm centers on you, and any nearby. The sting is a tracker, so you can run and run, but they'll find you anyways. They enter your body through any means and devour your insides, leaving just an empty shell. Watch out for them. Everything is dangerous here in The New Republic, no matter how innocent it looks." I stared around in fright, now paranoid of every tree, rock, blade of grass. Veronique watched haughtily as Mikel helped me step over a fallen tree.   
"She dislikes me a lot." Mikel shrugged unconcernedly. Typical male, I thought.   
"It doesn't matter, her opinion. She is infatuated with the twins. Anything that would jeopardize their existence she despises. Don't take any offense. She's actually rather dull anyways." He said the last part loudly so Veronique could hear, then looked down at me and winked. I smiled at him, glad I had a friend in this mess. At least, I hoped Mikel was a friend. The paranoia which had been looming upon my arrival continuously dove and pecked at me like a bird of prey. Bartholome glanced back at intervals, keeping a head count and watching mine and Mikel's budding friendship with interest and caution. I didn't blame him. I was prophesized to kill harmless twins and slay the queen. Not exactly the kind of girl you'd want hanging around your children.   
"Down!" Roushaline hissed from the front of the party. Everybody dropped to the ground and rolled towards cover as quick as possible. Shortly afterwards, a hawk flew by overhead, scanning the forest with its sharp, steely gaze. It circled the area where we were momentarily, and I got this terrifying feeling that it had discovered us. But it just screeched and moved onwards in the sky, and I let out a breath that I had been holding without knowing it. I started to get up, but Mikel pushed me back down to the ground, and Veronique gave me a poisonous look that clearly asked if I had lost my mind. Moments later, horses' hooves pounded nearby and galloped through the area we had been traveling through. I was so bewildered, until the horses stopped momentarily, the riders tracking the hawk in the sky.  
"Sigmund seems to think there's someone in the deep forest area. He keeps circling an area m'lord." Sigmund? I thought, startled. The judge? The White Rabbit? But... how? One of the riders pointed up into the sky and looked doubtfully at another man, mounted atop a pitch black steed with a fiery red mane. The man thoughtfully watched Sigmund the hawk circling the air... right over our campgrounds. I swallowed, my mind racing with questions. Did we erase our tracks? Would they be able to trace my bumbling steps through the forest? What would happen if we got caught? I would then be the cause of death for the mouse family. Which left the question... if the prophecy could be altered by free will, what would happen if the queen killed me and not the other way around? A seedy voice came from the rider on the black horse, oozing years of servitude and boot licking.  
"It's too far in the woods for our horses to attempt. The growth gets continuously thicker the deeper inwards you travel. We should send a party of foot soldiers. If intruders are that deep in the forest, they won't make it out of here alive, I'm sure. There are more creepy crawlies in the forest to be afraid of than us. Let's move out. We shall send footmen in to investigate and report to the queen upon their return." The men guffawed at the creepy crawlies comment and cheered that they wouldn't have to delve deeper in the forest. We lay in the undergrowth and waited for the sound of hoofbeats to disappear, and then waited longer for signs of Sigmund to vanish. Once it was all clear, we emerged, the mouse family's faces grim.  
"I don't understand, why is the forest forbidden?" I asked, despite Veronique disdainfully rolling her eyes at me. Bartholome cleared his throat and turned away, eyes lost in thought.  
"When your grandmother was here, she traveled through the forest, meeting people and making friends. The queen ordered all living creatures who were not hostile to evacuate it and forbade entrance. I suppose she hoped that if Alice ever returned, she would attempt going through the forest again and meet her demise. That is why a patrol roams through every week. Scouring the forest for signs of her." I pondered this a moment, and shuddered, trying not to think of what monsters could have been left behind. As if reading my mind, Mikel put his arm around me for comfort and said,  
"The beasts in this forest are unnamed and numerous. To speak one's name is to give it strength, and therefore summon it. Some monsters have disappeared into legend, some have disappeared from memory altogether. Those that remain in our thoughts are enough to guarantee trespassing in the forest will not be an issue. We travel through it partially for the same reason as the Royal Guard, and also partially because not many enter, therefore making it easier to smuggle things for the twins." Mikel paused and looked about conspiratorily. I leaned in, wanting to hear whatever secret he would tell me. "The queen believes all memories of Alice to have been eliminated, but that is not so." He pulled a parcel out of his pocket and untied it, revealing a mushroom, a piece of paper with a few recipes on it, and a miniature hookah, just the perfect size for a -   
I gasped and Mikel's eyes twinkled with delight. "But where...?" I asked breathlessly.  
"Simple, these things can be found. If you know where to look, that is." He grinned and winked at me. My head spun with the thought that the very things my grandmother witnessed, I could also witness. I picked up the paper with recipes on it, and read one of them. Magical Shrinking Recipe: 3 drops of hope, 1 tsp. of wishes, 1 dollop of will, 1 ton of luck. I giggled at the ludicrous recipe. There was no way it could be made with such intangible items, even with the magic in this realm. I replaced it and picked up the tiny hookah, spinning it around in my hand to study the details. It was incandescent, shimmering like a rainbow, and smelled like fruit and mint. I kept my hands off the mushroom, recalling the taunting songs about Alice "drinking wine and taking pills" or the numerous jokes by my friends that she had been on an acid trip. Even I had laughed, but now I was in her shoes, and if this was drug induced, it felt awfully real. Replacing the hookah gingerly, I felt a lump in my throat forming as I thought about my family, which had crossed my mind after the thoughts of my friends did.  
I took a shaky breath and blinked back tears, turning away from Mikel and wrapping my arms around myself. I wondered if my parents were worried and looking for me, or if I was in one of those strange time loops where, whenever I returned, it would be only a few minutes of my time lapsed. I also pondered what would happen if I couldn't return. Would my existence fade from reality, or from my world's reality at least? Or would I be reported missing, my parents mourning me, finally the center of attention? I began to regret my actions in my world, wondering also if perhaps people would think I was a missing runaway, which was very likely actually. I looked up and realized the mice had gathered around me, giving me looks of concern. Even Veronique looked mildly concerned.  
"What?" I asked hazily, still partially buried in my thoughts.  
"We asked, are you okay Alice? You look upset." Roushaline patted my arm. I blinked again, my throat stinging with the holed up tears.  
"I'm... okay, yes. Okay." My voice cracked and wavered, and I cleared my throat and looked down at my feet, embarrassed that I was causing a scene. Veronique walked up and, surprising everyone, gave me a hug. It was hasty and uncertain, but when she drew back, I caught her arm. "Veronique, I know you dislike me. I just want you to know... I believe what your family says, about changing your stars. I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to take out this queen without harming your friends." The resolve in my eyes or maybe the strength in my voice, whatever it was, caused her to look in consideration at me, appraising me as if for the first time. She set her jaw and nodded, patting my arm as she pulled away. I felt the thrill of a small victory and then took a deep breath, pulling myself out of my misery and self pity.  
"People... we have an uprising to cause. Let's go." The family cheered as I marched to the head of the party. They trooped after me, joyous at my decision.


	6. Chapter 6

I jumped, sure that I had been alone when I stopped at the statue. A woman stepped out of the shadows, her face half lit in the street lamp. I gasped as I studied her features. Though set with stress lines and frown marks, the face that looked back at me was the same face in my mirror. Blonde hair, messy and tangled, streamed down her back, her tired blue eyes studying me with concern and wonder, but her nose was what convinced me. Small and pointy at the end, I could tell it was my inherited feature.   
"Alice... Grandmother...?" I whispered, unsure of how I should address my elder, this woman whom I had never met, and only heard of from childrens' stories. She smiled faintly, and stepped closer. She no longer wore the blue princess dress and black headband she entered this realm in. She had exchanged it for more blending garments, a deerskin dress, and a robe with a hood to cover her features, made from an animal hide that I did not recognize. She reached out her hand to my face and traced the outlines, fingers trailing lightly over each feature, ending finally on the tip of my nose. She stroked my auburn hair, still caked with mud, but now wearing off, and looked at me.  
"You must also be Alice. My dear... I can't tell you how sorry I am that you have arrived, but at the same time, how happy I am that you are here." She motioned to the statue, which, looking at it for the first time, I wondered how it still stood. It was a statue of the woman standing before me, though in her princess gown, ripped and tattered, wielding a large sword in one hand, a shield in the other, battling against a fierce dragon-looking beast. "The Jabberwock. What a fearsome opponent. The Red Queen's pet, you know." I nodded and she looked surprised.  
"Once you disappeared, stories were written of you. I don't know how accurate they were, or how they even got out at all, but you are famous in our land. Everybody loves the story of Alice, stumbling upon wonderland and defeating the Red Queen and her monstrous pet." My grandmother's eyes shone as she listened.  
"Oh, March. He must have escaped far enough to tell his story - our story - to somebody in our world. He wanted someone to know." She sighed, smiling in fond remembrance of past memories. I studied her, intrigued by something.  
"Alice... Grandmother... why do you not look as though you've aged much? We look almost as if we could pass for sisters." Her eyes darted up at me, her brows knitting together in confusion. I fished through my pack - which somehow was still on me - and pulled out a shard of polished stone which I had been using for a mirror and handed it to her. Her mouth dropped open and she ran her free hand along her face as she had done mine.  
"Goodness... I should look much older. I - I don't know. I suppose time is different here for people from our world. And, you may call me Andara. That is what I rechristened myself when I had to go underground. Oh my dear..." She grabbed me and pulled me into a strong hug, stroking my hair. As I hugged her back, I began to cry again, and slowly brought her up to speed, stopping if we heard any noises that could be a spy. I ended with my latest revelation, and she sat there next to me, silent for a few moments, then began to chuckle.  
"Just what is so funny?!" I demanded.  
"Oh dear, you have it very bad for Mikel, don't you?" She giggled harder as I stammered and my face burned bright red.  
"It's - it's not - you don't even - Al- Andara! That's what you choose to focus on?!" I sputtered indignantly. She hooted with laughter and I slowly began to catch her infectious humor, and began giggling myself. We laughed like that for awhile, and it felt good, letting all of the emotions out of me. Once we had caught our breath, she looked at me and sighed, smiling.  
"Well kiddo, I think you probably owe some mice an apology for running off, and they owe you an explanation, so let's get back over to them." I nodded in agreement and we stood, linking arms and walked back to the pub.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Al - Lissandra! Are you okay? I was so worried about you!" Mikel rushed to me when I stepped through the door, gripping my shoulders with his paws and searching me for cuts and scrapes besides those I had gotten in the woods. I looked into his eyes and let my emotions through so he could feel them with his empathetic nature. I stepped forward and hugged him tightly, whispering I was sorry. He let out a surprised "Oh!", then smiled hesitantly and hugged me back. I heard whispering behind Mikel and looked over his shoulder to see his family staring at my grandmother.  
"Everyone, I would like you all to meet Andara... we would like some afa, if you please, Portence." Portence's tail flicked as if in irritation, though the blaze in her eyes calmed some when I focused my thoughts at her. She glanced wide eyed at my grandmother and hurriedly poured out mugs of afa. Mikel's family watched me warily as he guided me and my grandmother to seats at the bar. I could sense that they were waiting for another outburst from me, and I felt as though the walls were closing in around me. I hated the feeling of people judging me, and was constantly paranoid that they were. I sighed and took a sip of afa from the mug Portence slid to me. Then I yelped at the racket that was going on in my head.  
Who does she think she is -  
Causing drama and then marching back like she's a saint -   
Fed up with heroines and their almighty attitudes -   
Such beautiful eyes -   
If I had a stick lying around, I would -   
My eyes watered and my head throbbed at all the noise of jumbled up thoughts. I threw up mental walls, hard, before anyone could stop me, and nearly fell out of my seat. The old man who had been in the bar the first time I was there cackled and hooted as Mikel caught me and helped me back to my stool.  
"Sure does a number on a pretty girl's head such as yers, don' it?" He cackled and guffawed more and slowly quieted down as we turned back to the bar. I met the eyes of each of the mice, then Portence, then my grandmother. I hoped they registered the hurt on my face, because I wasn't planning on letting my barrier down very soon after that barrage of insults, dripping with venom. I started with Portence and my grandmother. I lowered my mental blockade just enough to let them in my head and guarded against anyone else, and I held up a finger to Mikel to wait. I explained to Portence what was going on, who the woman was accompanying me, and her eyes widened and she looked in reverence at Alice.  
My my my. You have been away for a long time, Savior. It is my honor to finally make your acquaintance. Portence's nose twitched in eagerness, as if she were meeting a movie star. In all actuality, she was kind of. I moved on to allow everyone else through, and sent a silent thought towards Mikel, like a secret note, that we would talk later, I had questions to ask. I explained my meeting with Alice to the family, whose thoughts turned from acidic to joyous, that I had brought not only myself, but the Savior to them. Now they would have two wild cards against Elyse. I covered my own acidic thoughts, silently seething at their duplicity, becoming angry hypocrites one moment and celebratory devotees the next. I glanced at Mikel, and his black eyes were studying me in curiosity. I looked away, faintly blushing.  
People, people! Calm down, please. If I may? Alice turned to me, asking for the floor. I nodded and stared into my mug of afa, now nearly half gone. I have been in hiding for some time now. To answer a few questions which I know are on everyone's mind... well, let me start with my story. It began when I tumbled through the hole, chasing after that stupid white rabbit...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who favorited and reviewed!! Please feel free to comment, leave advice, and give constructive criticism, I really would appreciate it. From now on, I'll be posting on a schedule of every other day, so it'll give readers the chance to absorb it all and give a break if needed. The story is already finished being written, but with suggestions, could be altered. I'm considering a sequel, or possibly a series if the story is well liked enough. If you like this, please tell your friends about it and ask them to review also, please! Thanks and much love to everyone who follows, favorites, reviews, or even just reads!


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